Heritage and Culture
Learn Kiswahili
Kiswahili is basically a Bantu language with a very significant Arabic influence. Pure Kiswahili is spoken at the coast, and Nairobi’s version, with its many Anglicisms. Kiswahili is the easiest language to pronounce in the word as all the words are pronounced as written, letter for letter. Kenya’s other official language is English and is used widely in all walks of life. Kiswahili is a very beautiful and, as grammar books tell you, an easy language to grasp. For serious student the best book is simplified by P.M. Wilson but for the basics you can use Teach Yourself Swahili by Perrott. The following is just but a few to keep you in touch.
General, Food and drink
| English | Swahili |
| Hello | Jambo |
| Salt | Chumvi |
| How are you? | Habari Yako? |
| Pepper | Pilipili |
| I’m fine/good/well | Mzuri |
| Vegetable | Mboga |
| Thank you | Asante sana |
| Pudding | Tamu tamu |
| Please/excuse me | Tafadhali |
| Ice | Barafu |
| Yes | Ndio |
| Beer | Tembo/Pombe |
| No | Hapana |
| Coffee | Kahawa |
| Now | Sasa |
| Tea | Chai |
| More | Zaidi |
| Water | Maji |
| Today | Leo |
| Milk | Maziwa |
| Tommorow | Kesho |
| Bread | Mkate |
| Yesterday | Jana |
| Meat | Nyama |
| Hot | Moto |
| Fish | Samaki |
| Cold | Baridi |
| Fruit | Tunda |
| Anyone at home? | Hodi? |
| Butter | Siagi |
| Come in/Welcome | Karibu |
| Sugar | Sukari |
| Slowly | Polepole |
| Quickly | Upesi/haraka |
| Numbers | |
| Left | Kushoto |
| one/two/three | moja/mbili/tatu |
| four/five/six | nne/tano/sita |
| Right | Kulia |
| Straight on | Moja kwa moja |
| seven/eight/nine | saba/nane/tisa |
| The crowd/folk | Wananchi |
| ten (eleven etc.) | kumi (na moja etc.) |
| Mister | Bwana |
| twenty/fifty | ishrini/hamsini |
| Mrs or Madam | Memsahib |
| hundred/thousand | mia moja/elfu moja |
| Goodbye | Kwaheri |
| half/quater | nusu/robo |
| Phrases/Questions | |
| Where is … ? | Wapi … ? |
| I would like … | Ninataka … |
| … a good hotel | .. hoteli mzuri |
| food | chakula |
| a chemist | duka la dawa |
| to sleep | kulala |
| road or route | barabara |
| a guide | mwongozi |
| railway station | stesheni la gari la moshi |
| I don’t understand | Sifahamu |
| bus station | kituo cha basi |
| Watch out! | Angalia! |
| the W.C | choo |
| How many…? | Ngapi? |
| What time is it? | Saa ngapi? |
| a telephone | simu |